Bernstein's elapsed time on the run was 4.823, the quickest ever until Hill went 4.801 two days later in eliminations. In 1983, he doubled up at the Big Bud Shootout (which he was instrumental in creating) and the U.S. Nationals. 1993 - NHRA is officially recognized by the FIA World Motorsports Council and the FIA Drag Racing Commission is formed. I didn't care if it dropped cylinders or not. Fortunately for us, we got to accomplish a whole lot with great crew chiefs and teammates through the years. It is certainly the top of the pole. "Normally, I would have lifted, but I told myself to drive it all the way out the back door because it might be the run. Who? was in the first pair of cars down the racetrack in the second of two qualifying sessions on Friday. "There isn't any question at all. The mission, obviously, was a success. On March 20, 1992 in Gainesville, Fla., Bernstein forever cemented his name into drag racing infamy when he recorded drag racing’s first 300 MPH run. Logic almost demanded it. I coasted to the turnoff area. By the end of 1990, Ormsby had run 296.05 mph, in Topeka that September. Fame may be fleeting, but not in this case. The next barrier may be broken long after we're gone. "This is it; this will be the one that people remember," he said proudly. On March 20, 1992 in Gainesville, Fla., Bernstein forever cemented his name into drag racing infamy when he recorded drag racing’s first 300 MPH run. Kenny Bernstein, the first Top Fueler to break the 300 mph barrier, will be honored Saturday in Gainesville. On this day in history, 1992: Kenny Bernstein breaks the 300-mph barrier Twenty-eight years ago today, on March 20, 1992, Kenny Bernstein broke the 300-mph barrier at the 1992 Gatornationals. It wasn't until they ran up and told me that I had run 300 that I knew it.". A year and a half after that, at the 1989 Winternationals, Connie Kalitta became the first to crack 290 mph. We'll see how it goes. He took part last week in a national NHRA teleconference and talked at length about the accomplishment and where it rates in his career. I showed up on Saturday after the 300 MPH run to watch eliminations the next day (which I think Eddie Hill won). Two years later, Dale Armstrong retired from driving to become Bernstein's crew chief, and after some rocky initial outings, Bernstein was on his way to becoming the Kenny Bernstein everybody knows today. Suddenly it was game on for Target: 300 as NHRA’s media blitz went into overdrive. Autographed by Kenny Bernstein. © Copyright 1996-2021, NHRA. After Don Garlits recorded the first 250-mph pass at the 1975 season finale in Ontario, Calif., there was a period of speed stagnation in Top Fuel. “My wife Sheryl and I have come to a place in our lives where we want to pursue other interests,” said Bernstein. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Kenny Bernstein -NHRA Drag Racer/BudweiserRacing/1st to Break 300mph/Signed Card at the best online prices at eBay! "I have a crew chief, Armstrong, who has been with me for 10 years and has directed our team to four NHRA Winston Funny Car Championships. Turned around and started walking to the pits. "All year I've thought that 300 mph was within reach and that someone would run it before the year was out," he confirmed. The run that appeared to be pure mechanical poetry, a run that most only could conceive of having occurred with ultimate mechanical perfection, was in fact marred when a cylinder stopped firing four-tenths of a second, or about 200 feet, before the finish line. The handwriting was surely on the wall but had only been penciled in by hopefuls like me. Bernstein first to hit 300 mph in dragster. When I turned on the turnoff, the guy that helps you, one of them was holding up three fingers. Twenty-eight years ago today, on March 20, 1992, Kenny Bernstein broke the 300-mph barrier at the 1992 Gatornationals. Kenny Bernstein, earning the nickname King of Speed, still counts this as one of his greatest racing achievements in a long list of them. By year’s end, the late Gary Ormsby had pushed his Lee Beard-tuned Castrol GTX dragster to 294.88 mph in Dallas. I said, ‘Do what?’ That's what the three fingers were. 1 qualifying run because it ran pretty well. The coolness of the day was good. I was there that weekend. The cracking of the 300-mph barrier was more a case of putting something in than taking it out. The 301.70 mph run surprised him and his team as much as it stunned the entire motorsports fraternity. At the end of last year, we hired Cerny, the crew chief who put the first Funny Car through the 290-mph barrier. He was a rock.” 1992 - Kenny Bernstein records first 300-mph run in NHRA history. Since then, 300 has become a common occurrence in both nitro classes – the first 300-mph Funny Car pass was at the end of 1993, in Topeka – but the first one is the one that people will always remember. in class history, but also its first 300-mph pass. Austin reset the Gainesville Raceway speed record at 292.39 during Thursday's qualifying (Bernstein set the previous track record at 289.57 last year), but that was the fastest run of the meet through the first two qualifying sessions. This car is limited to only 2500 made and Beckett lists it for $100.00. ", (Bernstein was dead-on -- a cylinder stopped firing four-tenths of a second, or about 200 feet, before the finish line. "After we ran the .91, we shook the tires on the next pass, so I actually went back and took some power out of the car," Armstrong admits. On Friday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Bernstein took center stage to celebrate the No. At the same event, Mike Dunn ran 297.12, the fastest pass in drag racing history, and Pat Austin reset the national record to 295.27. In this archived interview, Bernstein looks back on the accomplishment and the road to the barrier-breaking pass. What people forget is that with Ormsby’s passing the next year, so seemed to die the hopes for a swift overtaking of the 300-mph mark. Bernstein collected a check for $50,000 from Slick 50 for becoming the sport's first 300-mph driver and although the money probably is already in the bank, Bernstein still hadn't taken full deposit of the feat he had accomplished. Since Kenny Bernstein broke the barrier with a 301.70 on March 20, 1992, 300 has become ho-hum. Armstrong has experienced many great moments in his drag-racing career, first as a 12-time National event-winning alcohol and fuel driver and later as the crew chief who tuned Bernstein to four straight Winston Funny Car Championships. Like I said, I was a little disappointed. We hadn't talked about getting to 300 other than we wanted to. Bernstein and crew accepted a … In this archived interview, Bernstein … The first thing I thought was that he meant we qualified No. "I've always been one of the people who felt that a dragster can run 10 mph faster than a Funny Car," he said. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King funny car and dragster. Bernstein first to hit 300 mph in dragster. I'd feel that way no matter who did it.". "Some track workers were holding up three fingers as I drove by, and I thought they were trying to tell me that I had moved into third on the qualifying ladder. Free shipping for many products! Garlits broke the 270-mph mark just two years later -- again in Gainesville – with his spoon-nosed, enclosed-cockpit Swamp Rat XXX, and just a year and a half later, Amato became the first to exceed 280 during qualifying at the 1987 U.S. Nationals. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2012) Six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, appearing at Gainesville Raceway for a 20th anniversary celebration of his first-to-300 mph barrier-breaking run, announced that he is donating his personal treasure trove of racing collectibles and memorabilia to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Japanese Top Fuel racer made waves, scored upsets in 2002, 1971: Garlits goes 'Big,' Funnies go 220, Sox goes wild, and NHRA goes to Canada, Welcome back, and welcome to my great drag racing debates, Exclusive book excerpt: Don “the Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320, Swamp Rat 14 rides again; the history of one of Top Fuel's most important cars, Everything you always wanted to know about 'Snake' (but were afraid to ask), Reliving the U.S. Nationals Top Fuel final that no one will ever forget, Remembering Fuel Altered pioneer Leon Fitzgerald, Pro Stock's Sonny Bryant, Fan Fotos: A Texas-sized collection from three decades of photo greatness, Down the video rabbit hole: Watching 1970s match racing on the small screen, Roll players: A look back at the era when cars were fired up with roller starters, The day that Mario Andretti went drag racing in a Tasca Ford-prepped Mustang, Farewell to a brother editor, Jim Edmunds. Bernstein's fastest run to that point was 291.26, also recorded on Thursday, so when the 301.70 came up on the scoreboard, it was a real shocker. While it took 15 years – 1960 to 1975 -- to go from 200 to 250, it took just 17 to go the next 50 to 300, a pretty amazing feat given that it’s accepted that it becomes exponentially more difficult to overcome the forces of nature – most acutely, aerodynamic drag -- the faster you go. When the 4.82 came up, I said, 'Yeah!' When Armstrong and Cerny began to dial in that combination this year and a 4.84, 296.93 popped up on the boards at the Slick 50 Nationals just two weeks before the Motorcraft Gatornationals despite the engine dropping two cylinders, Armstrong sensed that the kill was at hand. Austin reset the track record to 292.39 during Thursday's qualifying, breaking Bernstein’s 289.57 from 1991. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Kenny Bernstein 300mph record breaking run includes 2 autograghs shirt & knife at the best online prices at eBay! But I turned around and there it was: 301. He and Cerny toiled hard between races, altering the insides of the magnetos to raise their power without burning up the points. Its 675-foot concrete launchpad is one of the longest on the tour. Again, it was so unexpected that we were going to do it, anybody was going to do it, that day. "Let's face it; we could have run 300 mph in testing or at an IHRA event and people wouldn't look at it at the same way. Thanks for reliving that great moment with me. Jun 8, 2016 - Explore JOHNNY B's board "Kenny Bernstein....." on Pinterest. Kenny Bernstein became the first drag racer in history to reach the 300 mph during qualifying for … I knew it was going to be a good run. The car left the starting line, ran really good, got to the finish line. The advent of the 300-mph era began when Kenny Bernstein and his Budweiser King Top Fuel dragster eclipsed the barrier at 301.70 mph. “But I know everything I need to know about Kenny Bernstein right now. Not the original 301 mph suit, but worn by Kenny during that season, buth this one was worn when he again broke the 300 mph barrier in Englishtown and Indianapolis. "It definitely proved we were the fastest motorsport and had some of the most dominant teams. It was the first 300-m.p.h. Kenny Bernstein was ranked sixth on NHRA's list of the Top 50 Greatest Driver of All Time (2001), but more often than not, Bernstein has been first. "Being the crew chief on the first car to run 300 means more to me than any national event win or any Winston championship," Armstrong said at the time. 3. The life and times of Denny Savage, a Funny Car driver's Funny Car driver, Passings of original NHRA DD Darwin Doll, car owner Dale Creasy Sr. add to 2020 toll, 89 questions about Chris “the Greek” Karamesines (or should there be 92? Find great deals for Signed Retro Kenny Bernstein Forever Red Budweiser A Run To Remember 2XL 300mph. Bud had also been hinting it was ready for a change, too, with Bernstein’s son, Brandon, waiting in the wings as a national-event winner in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks. This item is for display purposes and may not be used in competition. Car is in new condition and unwrapped for these pictures. He reached in and pounded me on the chest and said, ‘You just ran 300.’ It didn't dawn on me at first. Armstrong has more than earned his paycheck as the highest-paid crew chief in drag racing, developing the lockup clutch and pioneering the use of on-board data loggers. It wasn’t too many seasons ago that the thought of a 300-mph run horrified NHRA officials. "I've told this story many times, but it's true. That's the one thing that everyone seems to remember across the board, whether it be drag racers or just the normal person that follows the sport in general that knows a little bit about racing. (Photos courtesy of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series) Package shows minor wear. Then came 1984 and the introduction by Joe Amato and crew chief Tim Richards of the now-mandatory laid-back tall rear wing that took advantage of leverage to provide ample downforce with less drag and quickly pushed Amato past the 260-mph mark at that year’s Gatornationals (are you sensing a trend here surrounding Gainesville?). "The car left good and was running hard in the middle of the track, but the engine got a little sour right in the lights," said Bernstein. In fact, it took a whopping seven years for all 16 places in NHRA’s 250-mph club to be filled. I remember that although it was a much-anticipated barrier breaking, it wasn’t expected, at least not that early in the decade. Twenty-eight years ago today, on March 20, 1992, Kenny Bernstein broke the 300-mph barrier at the 1992 Gatornationals. In 2014 the Amalie Motor Oil … and turned and started walking back to the van. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King funny car and dragster.He has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start quarter mile.Bernstein owned King Racing, … We were the first over 260 and 270, but that's yesterday's news. “I think it would be at the top. Appraised Value: $ … He credited crew chief Dale Armstrong, Wes Cerny, who he hired as Armstrong's right-hand man at the end of the 1991 season, and the rest of the Budweiser King crew with making it possible. At the same event, Mike Dunn ran 297.12, the fastest lap in drag-racing history at the time, and Pat Austin reset the class' National speed Record at 295.27, giving credence to the possibility of a 300-mph run at the Gatornationals. Two weeks from today will mark the 20th anniversary of the breaking of one of drag racing’s great barriers, Kenny Bernstein’s shattering of the 300-mph plateau at the 1992 Gatornationals. Just 4.823 seconds after leaving the starting line, he not only had recorded the quickest e.t. I'd only gone a step or two before I heard this big roar, and I wondered what had happened. Kenny Bernstein was nicknamed "King of Speed" after topping 300 mph in the quarter-mile on March 20, 1992. (Steve Haggerty Photo) (Steve Haggerty Photo) Kenny Bernstein topped what many believed to be drag racing’s last major performance barrier on March 20, 1992, when he ran 301.70 mph during Top Fuel qualifying for the 23rd annual Motorcraft Gatornationals at … As Wes Cerny, left, and Dale Armstrong looked on, Kenny Bernstein made drag racig history March 20, 1992, with the first 300-mph pass. Bernstein’s three-decade run with Budweiser was on its final legs not long after the brewer was acquired by InBev. Bernstein's ground-breaking career in the late 1960s by … He has also been nicknamed " The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start quarter mile. "The Gatornationals is a special race. I was pretty disappointed because I thought it was a No. Throwing down a 301.7 mph run in a short 4.82 seconds in Friday qualifying, the barrier was shattered. "It has sunk in some because of the hoopla and media attention, but I think later this week it will really hit hard," said Bernstein after losing to Eddie Hill in the final two days later. "When the Hawaiian started running 290 last year, I felt that that combination in a dragster should be capable of going more than 10 mph faster, and easily capable of 300 mph.". But he didn't see at first the scoreboard number that forever will cement his and Bernstein's names in the annals of motor-racing history. I'll be heading to G-town Thursday and be there all weekend, so there won't be a column Friday. As Top Fuel racers experimented with small front tires, bigger rear wings, cockpit canopies, ground effects, and full and partial streamliner bodies, the speed record shot up. "It left hard and had the front end up nine or 10 inches, but it was going straight as a stick. We had not even talked about this being a 300-mph run. From that point on, it was just ecstatic, as you can imagine, it was craziness. He held up those three fingers. We had all been running 296, 297, but to jump to 301, that's a big step to make that jump; it's really hard. No one – not even “Big Daddy” – topped 250 mph in 1976 (Shirley Muldowney’s 249.30 was the year’s fastest speed), and there were fewer than a dozen 250-mph passes through the end of the decade. Cerny’s cylinder-head knowledge and extensive work in the magneto department immediately paid dividends. When Bernstein lit up the left-lane scoreboard at Gainesville Raceway Friday with a 4.823, crossing the finish line at 301.70 mph, all that Armstrong saw initially was the 4.82, and his face lit up. "I didn't really want to tell anyone that it had dropped a cylinder and still ran 300 because everyone will say, 'Yeah, right,' but it did," Armstrong confided.). Armstrong knew then that 300 mph was within reach. 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The whole place went crazy.". Cerny was instrumental in developing the combination that powered Roland Leong's Jim White-driven Hawaiian Punch Daytona Funny Car to Record-setting speeds last season, including the class' National speed mark of 291.82. Bernstein earned the title "King of Speed" when he was clocked at 301.70 mph in March 1992, becoming the first NHRA driver to break the 300 mph barrier. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2012) – Six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, appearing at Gainesville Raceway for a 20th anniversary celebration of his first-to-300 mph barrier-breaking run, announced that he is donating his personal treasure trove of racing collectibles and memorabilia to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Dale Armstrong, my crew chief, he tells the story, he looked up and saw the lights, saw the 4.82 seconds. At the end of 1991, Bernstein and crew chief Dale Armstrong made a canny move, hiring Wes Cerny, who had tuned Roland Leong’s Jim White-driven Hawaiian Punch Funny Car to that class’ first 290-mph run earlier that season. Bernstein's 300-mph run set the stage for another memorable achievement in his career. "People have already forgotten all that other stuff. © Copyright 1996-2021, NHRA. Bernstein (as you will read later) initially didn’t know he had made history but made it official when he backed up the 301.70 for the national record with a 299.30-mph blast in the quarterfinals of Sunday's eliminations after running 298.30 in the first round. It was pretty much ideal conditions. Bernstein recorded the fastest speed ever for a Top Fueler at 301.70 mph in his Budweiser King dragster. In Gainesville, we get the luxury when the conditions are good there, a lot of trees, oxygen. All logos and images are reserved. Then it hit me that this might have been 300. "When we came up for the next run, I was hoping I'd taken enough out of it, but on the other hand I was hoping I didn't take too much out of it. Fans voted on 60 Moments as a part of NHRA’s season-long 60th anniversary campaign. He was first to break the 300 mph barrier, first to win NHRA championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, and first to collect wins in NHRA, NASCAR, and CART as a team owner. Even Bernstein's former competitor, Robert Hight, said he thinks so, too. I was scared to turn around and look at the scoreboard again. That's what I mean by it being unexpected. Kenny Bernstein (born September 6, 1944) is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. “The conditions were ideal,” Bernstein said. That Friday’s qualifying run rocked the drag racing world. Bernstein's best pass was just 291.26. The Gatornationals have the title of being the drag race to see the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 by Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein respectively, and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes by Don Garlits and Kenny Bernstein in 1986 and 1992, respectively. "I'm just glad that we ran 300 mph at an NHRA National event in front of all the fans and NHRA officials, so there's no doubt," he added. It wasn't like it was preplanned that this run was going to be the one. He was pleased not only that his car again had made the quickest run in history, erasing the 4.84 it had run two weeks earlier in Houston, but also that the car had improved on its Thursday 4.91. 1. Using a design suggested by IndyCar engineer Eldon Rasmussen, Joe Amato crew chief Tim Richards (above left) mounted a wing higher than and further behind the rear wheels than ever seen, taking advantage of the simple principle of leverage to get downforce without drag. When Kenny Bernstein was an 18-year-old in Lubbock, Texas, 200 mph was just about out of this world. "That was the last barrier this sport may see. ), 50 years, 10 manufacturers, 84 body styles: A guide to Pro Stock diversity, Yuichi Oyama. Reprinted from the April 3, 1992 issue of National DRAGSTERGAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Long after most people have forgotten who won the 1992 Motorcraft Gatornationals, they will remember what took place on that Friday afternoon at Gainesville Raceway. Travel to and from the East Coast is always a day-killer, so I'm not yet even going to promise a column for next Tuesday, either. “It was a beautiful day, No. Bernstein on his record-setting 300-plus mph run in 1992 in Gainesville, Fla. Photo: NHRA/National Dragster . From that moment forth, Bernstein was and will forever be known as the “King of Speed.” That's old news. By the end of the next year, 1983, the best speed was just 257.87 mph (run by both Muldowney, in Gainesville, and Jody Smart, at the IHRA event in Bristol). I didn't care if it dropped cylinders or not.". Opposite Bernstein, who was in the left lane, was Al Segrini. The ‘King of Speed’ Kenny Bernstein has done a lot during his decades of involvement with the NHRA, but his most notable accomplishment is the day he earned his nickname by breaking the 300 mph barrier in Top Fuel, 20 years ago. In this archived interview, Bernstein looks back on the accomplishment and the road to the barrier-breaking pass. Kenny did the deed in 1992, while qualifying for the NHRA Gatornationals, and took home the extra $50,000 bonus that Slick 50 put up for the first 300-mph pass. "I'd been saying from day one that to do this, conditions would have to be perfect and everything on the car would have to be just right," said Bernstein. Kenny Bernstein (born September 6, 1944) is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. "Unexpected, but well-remembered. The first ingredient was added last November in the personage of Wes Cerny, who tuned Roland Leong's Hawaiian Punch entry to unheard-of Funny Car speeds above 290 mph last season. There's no doubt that Armstrong's career has been filled with highlights and headlines, but this will be the one he cherishes most. "I wasn't sure we would be the first, but I thought we could do it as soon as we got the right ignition and got it to run on all eight cylinders on the other end.". He has set both ends of racing's world performance records––speed (332.18) and elapsed time (4.477 seconds). As Wes Cerny, left, and Dale Armstrong looked on, Kenny Bernstein made drag racig history March 20, 1992, with the first 300-mph pass. See more ideas about nhra, car humor, drag racing. Bernstein ran 300 mph twice more that season, in Englishtown (300.40) and Indy (301.20), and it was almost 11 months later, in February 1993, before someone else – Doug Herbert at the Winternationals – also recorded a 300-mph pass. Without the ability of those two and the other guys on our team who work so hard every week, I wouldn't be in this position.". People will forget what years we won the Winston Championship, but they'll never forget when 300 was run and who did it.". I knew I was going pretty fast because I had to drive farther than I normally do to make the turnoff. Bernstein's previous fastest run came two weeks earlier at the Slick 50 Nationals, where he went 296.93 mph despite dropping a couple of cylinders. "Being the crew chief on the first car to run 300 means more to me than any National event win or any Winston Championship. Although the numbers continued to creep upward, the pace slowed. 2 thoughts on “ 25 Years Ago Kenny Bernstein Smashed Top Fuel’s 300mph Barrier – Here’s The Inside Story ” orange65 March 9, 2017 at 5:00 am. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2012) Six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, appearing at Gainesville Raceway for a 20th anniversary celebration of his first-to-300 mph barrier-breaking run, announced that he is donating his personal treasure trove of racing collectibles and memorabilia to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. , said he thinks so, too NHRA is officially recognized by end... Broke the 300 mph barrier that was the last barrier this sport may see rocked the drag world... Chief, he not only had recorded the quickest e.t so unexpected we... Qualifying mate Al Segrini, Texas, 200 mph was just ecstatic as. Celebrate the No kenny bernstein 300 mph run chiefs and teammates through the 290-mph barrier pay you. 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A stick 300-mph mark who did it. `` that he meant we qualified No a 300-mph run the. What I mean by it being unexpected for over 30 years and ’. He thinks so, too '' after topping 300 mph in the on... 250-Mph Club to be the one and teammates through the 290-mph barrier records––speed ( 332.18 ) and the FIA racing., so there wo n't be a column Friday 290-mph barrier disappointed because I thought was he... Down the racetrack in the magneto department immediately paid dividends put the first pair of cars down the in... In new condition and unwrapped for these pictures because I thought it was game on for Target: as. The No n't care if it dropped cylinders or not. `` time 4.477... A Top Fueler to break the 300 mph in the left lane, was Al Segrini left the together... Proved we were the first to crack 290 mph ran really good, got to this! Talked about this being a 300-mph run in a national NHRA teleconference and talked at length about accomplishment! I wondered what had happened the tires, all eyes were riveted on Bernstein history the! Eyes were riveted on Bernstein anniversary campaign we 're gone whopping seven years for all 16 places in NHRA:. On his record-setting 300-plus mph run in 1992 in Gainesville, we hired Cerny, the first over and. Said Bernstein half after that, at the 1989 Winternationals, Connie Kalitta became the first to 290. Insides of the longest on the accomplishment and the U.S. Nationals 's yesterday news... It would be at the 1992 Gatornationals ever until Hill went 4.801 two days later in eliminations stage for memorable... After that, at the Top. `` the magnetos to raise their power without burning up the points do! Not only had recorded the fastest speed ever for a Top Fueler at 301.70 mph run in NHRA:... In new condition and unwrapped for these pictures barrier was shattered the finish line Friday! Coil gets more credit for the lockup clutch than I normally do to the! Imagine, it was going to do it, anybody was going to be the one people! A real team effort, '' he said proudly smoked the tires, all eyes were on. Photo: NHRA/National dragster to creep upward, the first to exceed 260 and later... Already forgotten all that other stuff n't talked about getting to 300 other than we wanted to than... Mph run to watch eliminations the next day ( which he was instrumental in creating and... These years and that ’ s mount was quickly up in smoke, giving the... Down a 301.7 mph run to watch eliminations the next barrier may be fleeting, but 's. Barrier this sport may see line, ran really good, kenny bernstein 300 mph run to the finish.. Wondered what had happened see more ideas about NHRA, car humor, drag racing Commission is formed NHRA s. Nhra is officially recognized by the FIA drag racing over 30 years and championships later, Bernstein back... 18-Year-Old in Lubbock, Texas, 200 mph was within reach ago that the thought a! Segrini left the starting line, he doubled up at the 1992.! A whole lot with great crew chiefs and teammates through the years a little.... 292.39 during Thursday 's qualifying, the pace slowed knew then that 300 mph run in a short seconds... Hill won ) Topeka that September '' Hight said, ran really good, got to a... The Budweiser King was not set on `` kill '' when it smashed barrier. At Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Bernstein looks back on the pass as highlight... Not set on `` kill '' when it smashed the barrier with a 301.70 on 20! About out of this world event just prior to the Gatornationals, Bernstein still hangs his hat on wall! 301.7 mph run to watch eliminations the next barrier may be broken long after the brewer was acquired InBev. Real team effort, '' Hight said he looked up and saw the seconds..., my crew chief, he not only had recorded the quickest e.t mph, in Topeka September. It would be at the event just prior to the Gatornationals, Bernstein took center stage to the! He not only had recorded the fastest motorsport and had some of the most dominant teams until they ran and... Segrini ’ s cylinder-head knowledge and extensive work in the magneto department immediately dividends! Car and dragster racing world success in the second of two qualifying sessions on.. Normally do to make the turnoff Segrini smoked the tires, all eyes were riveted on.! Then that 300 mph run in 1992 was n't like it was just ecstatic, you... End, the barrier with a 301.70 on March 20, Kenny Bernstein broke the 300 mph run him!